Priceless
by Sulfur Dusk
Summary: Red X is in possession of something very valuable. Something that is technically unobtainable. Not money or jewelry. No, he has what the Titans want. He has what the Titans need. He has their greatest weakness. He has... Raven. — Red X/Raven —
1. I - Captured

**Title: **_Priceless_

**Genre: **_Drama/Angst/Action/Romance_

**Rating: **_T - M_

**Setting: **_Canon Universe_

**Coupling: **_Red X xRaven_

**Summary: **_Red X is in possession of something valuable, something priceless. Not jewels. Not money. No, he has what the Titans want. He has what the Titans need. He has their greatest weakness. He has... Raven._

* * *

**I**

_Captured_

* * *

Gemstones were precious.

Although, _he _wasn't exactly picky. Sapphires and diamonds happened to be his favorites, with their glossy, sharply cut shapes, angles and dramatic glow. The polished, smooth interface of pearls and the pure roundness of some garnets were far less interesting in comparison, but the raw color that balanced off of the dramatic, glimmering stones were enough to set a thief's heart on wildfire.

So, naturally, Red X believed that the most interesting gems he could acquire next would be found in the recently opened jewelry store in Downtown Jump. To his lack of surprise, the alarms were rigged, and in a matter of minutes he found himself cornered by the most obnoxious group of hosh-posh "superheroes" that he had ever laid eyes on. Of course, Red X _was _the very thief that stole their leader, Robin's, suit that gave him the name in the first place.

Hell, it was a lot easier just stealing the damn thing than creating one himself. He would have to give Robin props for an excellent eye in design and capability, but other than powering the damn suit, Red X was perfectly fine working with it. It was practically a second skin to him now, and against the notorious Teen Titans, he knew he would escape with as many jewels as he could possibly want…

Although when the alarm blared and he realized his mistake, the hundreds of bands of gold and tiny diamonds and rubies were already slipping through his gloved fingers.

_Shit._

The windows shattered, glass fragments scattering across the tiled floors. A green wolf leaped through the gaping hole, snarling and spitting. Red X immediately recognized it as the changeling, whatever his name was. It wasn't important now. Before the more troublesome members arrived, he needed to find an escape route. And quick.

The pretty alien girl was next. She flew in at an alarming speed, screaming and casting glowing green bolts towards him like firecrackers. He dodged them with ease, running and flipping up the nearby staircase with a satchel full of jewelry slung over his shoulder. It was such a simple heist—why did the Titans have to get involved with everything?

"What are you planning, Red X?" Of course, Robin would be the one to interrogate him in the middle of a fight.

Smirking cheekily behind the mask, Red X simply shrugged and dodged another attack from Starfire. "Fancy you would like to know, Birdie."

A vein pulsed in Robin's forehead and he quickly caught up with the jewel thief. Red X's smirk grew even wider at the challenge—he wasn't exactly in a hurry anymore… it wasn't as if they were actually going to capture him and arrest him. He could stall Robin for a while. After all, humiliating the Boy Wonder became more and more amusing to him every time.

Robin kicked, punched and swung at him, though Red X countered with ease. The satchel was thrown to the side as he and the former apprentice of Batman continued their onslaught. Glass cases containing priceless jewels cracked open and fell apart from the pressure of the two men fighting. Red X's confidence only continued to grow with how much he enjoyed fighting with Robin, and in a flash he had his opponent slammed against the opposite wall, two giant crimson X's entrapping his wrists.

"You—," a third X slapped over his mouth before he could finish his sentence. Robin cursed and struggled in his bonds, and he quickly noticed Starfire fly over, her eyes bugged wide at seeing his state of unrest before she turned to Red X.

"Why are you only stealing jewels?" Starfire asked, her eyes glowing a vicious green. Red X still found her pretty, but her ferocity was growing rather… dull. "You are nothing but a threat to our city and to my friends! Why are you doing all of this?"

Did she really have to talk _now_?

"It doesn't change anything if you know or not, Ginger."

Starfire blinked at his coy words and readied her star-bolts.

Red X inwardly rolled his eyes at her expression and dodged her blasts. She then retreated to Robin and tried tearing off the red bands while the villain quickly turned to one of the broken windows.

"Imbeciles," he muttered, ready to leap out, until the glass shards quickly reformed back in the window's place, a familiar black energy encasing each fragment. Red X's eyes bulged before he stuck his boots out first, landing against the glass and bouncing off. He skid across the ground, a light cloud of dust following in his wake. He knew that power… and why did it take the witch so long to show up?

Raven phased through the walls, her eyes glowing white and angry. She lowered to his level; her arms stretched out and ready to strike. She looked deadly—out of all of the Titans she and Robin seemed to share the most intense stares, and usually only Robin came through with his pathetic aggression.

But she… she never faced him directly.

Red X stood up, rolling his neck and smirking as he heard the bones crack. "Interesting. I didn't expect you out so late, little bird." Raven bristled, but she did not attack. She was waiting for a cue, and he could tell that her patience was already wearing thin. The thief could feel the Titans surrounding him one by one, their weapons and shifting forms ready for a final attack. Really… why were they upset over a simple break-in? They were just _jewels_.

"You have it, don't you, Red X?" Robin demanded, pointing an accusing finger.

Red X chuckled. "I have… well, what would you like to name? Priceless gemstones, ranging of all colors and sizes. Worth hundreds of thousands of dollars for each one. What could you possibly be thinking otherwise?"

Cyborg glared, his cannon ready. "Cut the garble, X! Where's the Blood Diamond?"

Red X blinked. Ah. So _that _was what they were after.

He tapped his chin, as if pondering. "Well… it's not here."

Starfire glared. "You are one that lies, Red X! Do not attempt to fool us! We know of your schemes of evil."

"Oh, do you, Princess?" Red X resisted the urge to growl. Really, these pathetic clowns weren't worth his time. He was already annoyed with Jump City security, and they barely put up a fight. The Titans were constantly chasing the wrong person. Couldn't they be trailing Cinderblock or Plasmus instead of worrying about him? He was sure that they would have broken out of jail by now.

Raven's eyes narrowed, reducing to the normal shade of violet-blue. "He doesn't have it. He's telling the truth."

The other Titans blinked at her. Robin frowned.

"Raven—"

"I can sense that he's telling the truth. Almost." Her pursed lips and calculating stare made Red X shiver in interest. What was it about this witch? There seemed to be something a little off about this complicated blackbird, and for some strange reason he wanted to inspect her up close. Raven only continued glaring. "But he knows where it is."

"So let's turn him in, or we can get the info out _ourselves_." Cyborg's cannon revved as he said those dark words, and Red X chuckled in amusement.

"Theatrical. Really, I'm impressed." He turned to Raven. Maybe he could distract the Titans if needed. True, he did know where the Blood Diamond was, and the blackbird was correct. He didn't have it with him.

Clever creature.

"Talk, Red X," Robin demanded.

"Unlike your goons here, I'm not going to follow your orders, _Birdie_," Red X retorted. He briefly glanced around him in the circle of Jump City's heroes, pondering his methods of escape. There were plenty of things he could do: break the window and leap out; distract them with a smoke bomb and bolt out the back door; attack like an idiot…

Suddenly, without warning, Beast Boy transformed into a cheetah and charged. Red X, _barely _noticing the rapid change, jumped high into the air and somersaulted onto the floor, out of the circle. He glanced back over his shoulder as Starfire immediately readied her bolts, and Robin brought out his staff.

Red X glanced towards the window Raven put back together. He lunged towards it, smashing it open and flipping over the top, landing on the roof of the building. He turned and started running as fast as his legs could carry him. If he blended into the alleyways, he could slip into either the sewers or the trail of thin buildings along the river line.

"Azarath Metrion _Zinthos_!"

The spell caught him off-guard. Of all things, the blackbird!

She phased in front of him and charged at him with her powers. The powerful black energy wrapped around the tiles of the roof, prepared to launch at him. She had every angle cut off at the moment; if he tried to move, she would strike with a tile from any direction possible. He actually had to stop and think while facing the mysterious demoness.

Hm.

Red X smirked.

He liked her style.

He remembered her from the first time he stole the suit. Sure, Robin already had his panties in a twist because his precious, "exclusive" suit was in the hands of a so-called "ruthless criminal". While Red X was not a murderer and only seemed to steal for his own selfish enjoyment, it still warranted his spot on Robin's hate-list, and, apparently, the dark mistress's as well. She was interesting, with how she interacted with him. She was always quiet, and even with her attacks, she was swift, nimble and graceful. She carried herself with poise and a slight sensual elegance that he had not seen before.

He always through the Tameranean princess was attractive in some way. Her heart-shaped face, bright green eyes and long, soft auburn hair took him by surprise when he saw her, but for some strange reason, more than anything...

He really wanted to know what this little bird, this _Raven_, hid underneath all that fabric.

"Just tell us where the Blood Diamond is and I won't have to strike you." Her comment snapped him out of his thoughts, and he smiled. He was more than happy to oblige to someone so unique and, dare he even think it, refreshing.

Raven was decidedly quite calm for facing a villain as annoying as Red X. Ever since he stole Robin's suit six months beforehand, he was anything but their favorite villain. He never did anything drastic; just stole and stole and… well, stole. He was mostly a jewel thief and seemed to have a fascination with sapphires.

This happened to be the only recent chase where something really _mattered_.

"I'll tell ya, little darkling," Red X taunted. In a flash, he tossed something towards her, and it was far too fast for her to expect. Something injected into Raven's neck, and in a few moments, the tiles collapsed from her mental grasp, and her eyes rolled into the back of her head.

She fell limp, and before she could collapse onto the rough rooftop, Red X rushed forward and snatched her into his arms. At this moment, her hood fell back, and it was in that surprising moment that Red X took notice of the intense beauty the woman possessed.

The moon cast a faint glow across the demonic teenager's features, still developing and still innocent while, in a way, quite seductive despite her closed eyes. Her skin was bathed in white and made her look luminous; while the violet locks of her hair framed her elegant neck like a twisted halo. Her cloak covered the remainder of her body, and in Red X's case, that was a very good thing if he wanted to escape anytime soon.

He considered leaving her there.

But then again…

_Hm. _The Titans would surely just pursue him again for the Blood Diamond, now that he knew where it was. That annoying birdbrain Robin would surely track him down, whether he liked it or not, and probably try to take the suit back while he was at it.

But taking her with him unlocked hundreds of possible benefits in his mind. He would have something that would render the Titans weaker. They would lose a valuable asset, and surely a chunk of their boosted ego would flee along with that. The little songbird would fare quite well in his own cage then, would she?

He made his decision.

_Just in time. _Red X glanced over to see Starfire and Beast Boy (now in the form of a hawk) floating above the building. In a flash, he withdrew a tiny metallic ball form his belt, and slammed it onto the fallen tiles. Smoke lashed out over the top of the building, blinding the Titans as they fought through the smoke to reach their ally.

Cyborg and Robin caught up with them, walking over the tiles that were now breaking off completely because of the force of Raven's power.

"Where's Red X?" Robin growled, although he already knew the answer. It was clearly a smoke bomb… they would have to catch him a different time. He always seemed to avoid them whenever they actually need to capture him and turn him in. With Red X on the loose, the Blood Diamond would surely be lost forever until they squeezed the answers out of him.

Cyborg frowned. "This isn't good," he murmured. "My sensors aren't picking up Raven's communicator signal."

Robin turned to him, wide-eyed. "What?!"

"Raven! Friend Raven!" Starfire called, her glowing eyes reduced to the normal emerald hue. "Raven! Please, answer!"

The smoke cleared, and Starfire's heart nearly stopped as she noticed the severity of the situation.

"Friends… did he…?"

Robin snarled. Why did they have to be so slow at a time like this?

Raven was gone.


	2. II - Caged

**Title: **_Priceless_

**Genre: **_Drama/Angst/Action/Romance_

**Rating: **_T - M_

**Setting: **_Canon Universe_

**Coupling: **_Red X xRaven_

**Summary: **_Red X is in possession of something valuable, something priceless. Not jewels. Not money. No, he has what the Titans want. He has what the Titans need. He has their greatest weakness. He has... Raven._

* * *

**II**

_Caged_

* * *

She woke to the chiming of bells.

Or something that was just as annoying.

Raven jerked up, groaning at the throbbing in her temples. Her fingers twitched and her memories raced into replay from the night before, of she and the Titans' pursuit of the Blood Diamond and the culprit—the _thief _that was most definitely responsible for it.

Cyborg's calculations were rarely misguided, and when he mentioned the name of one of Robin's most prominent rivals as the likely culprit, they were all too happy to pursue him. It was a refreshing change to have to chase Red X for the sake of recovering a valuable object, instead of trying to take the suit back, as Robin was determined to do before.

"Wait…" Raven shook her head, blinking and finally adjusting to her surroundings. She was trapped in a large glass tube, the material thick and unusual. Past the barrier, she scoped out tiled floors, walls and ceiling, and thousands of huge boxes scattered about the area. She couldn't see her kidnapper, but she already felt Rage slamming against her skull and begging for her to act on it.

She was captured, and now a prisoner.

Great.

"I see you're awake." Raven jumped up and, on instinct, her hands balled into fists and orbs of black energy surrounded them, her eyes glowing white. She bristled once Red X came into view, still donning the usual suit, but she knew that he was grinning behind that notorious mask.

"What do you want with me?" Her brow furrowed as he only chuckled in response. He leaped on top of the one of the boxes, and loped his legs over the edge. He, of course, didn't bother answering for a solid thirty seconds, just… staring at her, observing her every move, and casually taking in the details of her powers and just how dangerous she probably was outside of the tube.

"You know, little blackbird, I'm not sure yet. I will find a use eventually, but for now I'm just going to keep you." He folded his arms across his chest, tilting his head to the side. "Tell me, just how do you do all… that?" He gestured towards her still-glowing eyes. She blinked and reversed to normal, her cloak fluttering at the action.

"Why does it matter?" She crossed her arms. "You never cared before. We were just after the Blood Diamond. You have it; I know you do, and even behind your mask I can see you smirking."

"Well I know for a fact you don't have X-ray vision." He snickered at his own pun. "But I do know that you're smart. Smarter than I thought."

He dropped down from the box and walked up to the tube. He was only inches from her, and if the glass weren't there she would have gradually taken the chance and punched him in the face; something about this barrier, though, prevented her aura. She could feel the power radiating through the glass.

Raven's eyes narrowed. "Just what do you want from me? Taking me _hostage _would be a stupid idea." She glared. "Robin wouldn't risk my safety, but you don't want anything from them in return."

Red X shrugged nonchalantly. "All true." He paused. "You're… interesting." He scoped over her features, still hidden beneath her hood. "A shame you always hide yourself in the dark."

Raven growled. "You won't get any information out of me."

"Oh, I already know that. What could you Titan clowns have that I would possibly want? I already stole Bird-boy's suit, and now, I have their most powerful friend in my care."

He sounded so casual, so elusive, as if he knew a thousand things that Raven didn't. And that, on its own, irked her. She hated it when villains boasted about themselves or walked around without a care in the world. She knew her destiny from birth, and she embraced the consequences, but seeing this masked thief with his audacious words and his nonchalance made her blood boil.

Rage was knocking on her door, and she did all she could to suppress it. She couldn't remember the last time a villain set her off so quickly. How long had it been since she woke up? Six or seven minutes?

"By _care _you mean _captivity_. You kidnapped me." She was ashamed to even say it, but the words were venomous on her lips.

"True, I did. But why don't you tell me something I don't know already, little witch?" He used that word again. She gritted her teeth and turned away from him, trying to keep her composure in check.

"Just… leave me alone."

"So you can call your buddies and have them barge in? Nah, I don't think so." Red X unfurled his arms. "I know that you have this… what is it, _special _bond with that train-wreck of a leader. Supernatural means that I'm all that familiar with, but I'm pretty sure you're not entirely human." He sounded amused.

Raven rolled her eyes. "Gee, I wonder what gave it away," she muttered drily.

Red X paused, and then chuckled. "Heh, at least you can keep up. Somewhat."

"And there is nothing special between Robin and I." Raven glanced over her shoulder, sending him a rather scorching glare; pools of violet that boiled in annoyance and distaste. There was a protective streak lurking in those depths, directed at the one person that Red X honestly expected had feelings for her. "We're friends."

Why did it matter to her so much that she had to mention that? She and Robin were very close friends, but other than that, she knew for sure that he had no romantic feelings for her whatsoever. At times, people would ask her in between interviews if she was jealous of the impending "blossoming love" between the Boy Wonder and the pretty Tamaranean princess… but all she had to say in response was that it was none of their business.

"He is quite smitten with that alien, of course." Red X smirked behind the mask once he noticed Raven stiffen. He liked this girl; she had a defensive edge to her that never seemed wimpy. She had a powerful will, and that was a great, refreshing contrast to what he originally expected of her.

"Maybe all this drama is meant to happen. I can see it now, blazing on the headlines: Boy Wonder can't make up his bloody mind between pretty princess and…" His eyes ran the length of Raven's form, curiosity getting the better of him as images he hadn't expected popped into his mind. He chuckled, his tone lowering. "… And a rather _sensual _darkling."

Raven bristled and turned to face him. "Quiet!"

"Oh, did I anger you?" He chuckled. Feisty creature. "I like you. You're quite entertaining… for a prisoner."

"I swear, once I get out of here—"

"Oh please, I have many more where that came from. Come on, little bird. Help me out with this. If you give me a better _picture _I can think of better sayings—" he backed up as she dashed to the edge of the glass, her teeth sharp and barred, and her eyes transforming into four glowing red beams. However, as soon as it happened, it stopped, and she slunk back into the shadowed part of the tube with her head low, as if… ashamed?

He blinked at this. That was odd.

Part of him slightly regretted pissing her off, but the true selfish part of him delighted in her reactions. He toyed with his opponents and watched them move to what he commanded; like puppets they were strung up in his web. But this girl defied all of his rules, and turned some of his retorts back at him.

She was interesting, to say the least.

"If you're curious, little bird, we'll be heading to a different location soon."

She growled. "I don't care."

"Of course you do. No proper lady likes to get stuck in one place for too long. Although, I guess you are no ordinary lady." He paused once more, sounding as if he was becoming more and more interested with her. As if Raven cared at this point; she was focusing on how she could distract him and escape. Her powers wouldn't work on the glass cylinder containing her, but maybe using some other methods would help.

Either way, she needed to come up with a solution before this crazed thief decided to send her back to the Titans in pieces.

"If you think I'm going to harm you, you're wrong," Red X muttered, snapping the woman out of her thoughts. She pivoted on her heel, staring him down with a heavy trace of disbelief in her deep, indescribable eyes. Even beneath the hood, she struck him through the shadows and scattered his mind, begging for him to try and piece the puzzle together.

"Of course I think that. Why else would you waste your time _capturing _me?"

The thief seemed to ponder this, but he glanced away, distracted by something else in the hard-to-observe room. "All that matters, little bird, is that you're under my care and _protection_. The Titans will not interfere with our special arrangement. I promise that your _boyfriend_ will remain safe as well." He spat the word 'boyfriend' with a surprising amount of venom, but she chose to ignore it. That wasn't what mattered.

A vein popped on Raven's forehead, her teeth starting to grind.

"Go, before I lose my temper."

"Ah, I see. Your temper tantrums; I've seen them happen before. Curious events, in which I would think to myself: why isn't she the leader? She clearly has the most power."

Raven's cape billowed around her. "Robin—" she stopped herself, willing her mouth shut. Talking to this annoying thief wasn't going to fix any of her problems. She needed to ignore him, and find out how to get out of this blasted place before anything went out of hand.

Red X shrugged. "I suppose I will return when needed, little bird. Oh, and, I switched our little communication devices. Your buzzer will call for me instead." He paused, addressing her shocked, angered look with secretly risen eyebrows. "After all, you won't need to contact your _Titans _while here. So give me a call, and it's a date."

Raven turned away from him for the last time, breathing slowly. She closed her eyes, listening to him as he left her there in the glass chamber, his footsteps nothing but echoes in the blackness. She glanced up, and focused on the one light beaming down on her slender form.

She needed to escape. Soon, before that man drove her insane.

* * *

"How are we going to track Raven?" Beast Boy's head popped up, staring over the edge of Robin's desk and eyeing his leader in interest. It was not hard to figure out that the Titans had never experienced something like this before. If Red X was going to kidnap someone, they all expected it to be Starfire; he was practically infamous in Robin's books as one of the many villains that flirted with the beautiful alien.

But no, he had to take _her_.

He had to fucking steal _Raven_.

Cyborg eyed the worried expression crossing Robin's features, his own lips pursed and tight. "Chill out, Rob. We'll find her. But losing sleep over it isn't going to help anyone. It'll be haunting you if you don't relax."

"I am relaxed," Robin lied, his teeth grinding. He stared out the window of the Tower, observing the crisp blackness of night and the sweeping blanket of stars. He didn't know if Raven was able to see those stars at the moment, but his stomach twisted whenever he thought of a conman like _Red X _having Raven in his possession…

Starfire noticed the anger dwelling behind the Boy Wonder's mask, and more than anything she wished to reach out and comfort him. But she also knew that, in times like this, he would lash out at her or even scream at her if she got into his path when it wasn't wanted. No one would be able to snap him out of this frustrated stupor until Raven was back, safe and sound.

Part of her wondered if she was indeed kidnapped by Red X, which the team would have expected, would Robin be just as concerned for her? Would he be punching down walls and screaming for her to be rescued if she was gone? Taken away, like the thief had with Raven?

She hoped it would be equal. Or… the small, selfish piece of her heart desired there to be more between she and Robin. They were close, and understood each other on a different level, but having him so concerned for Raven like this was like a swift punch to her lungs, suffocating her and demanding for her to just _deal with it_.

She remembered when her dear friend Robin was haunted by dark, forboding visions of Slade. The shadowed monster had lurked in their leader's subconscious, waiting to be reawakened in order to chase him to the ends of the earth, and because of this event Robin nearly destroyed himself. But through the process, Starfire had done her best to protect him, to shelter him as she only knew how… but it wasn't her that helped him in the end.

Raven was the one who helped him. She sent her soul into his mind, told him to let her see through his eyes, to prove to him that Slade was just an illusion. She used whatever method she could to snap Robin out of his struggling mind, to make him see what was truly _there_. And even before that, he hadn't reacted to Raven's interference as he had with Starfire; there was so much rage present behind his mask when he grasped her arm under the rain. The threat was so evident in his voice; he hadn't meant to hurt her, to _scare _her, but he had, and as a consequence she was reduced to tears.

She would never forget that fateful night, and she knew that the memory still burned in the rest of the Titans' hearts and souls. They treasured Robin as a friend and leader, and for that she was grateful. But having him so attached to Raven when it was so difficult to watch them interact already…

It was painful.

"Hey, Star, you okay? We'll find her," Beast Boy reassured, smiling widely. Starfire blinked, snapping out of her train of thought and sending Beast Boy a happy grin. At least, at the moment, he seemed to understand her. "We'll find Red X, and we'll make sure he gives her back."

The alien dipped her head, hiding the somberness that crashed over her in waves. "I do hope so, Beast Boy."

But even though he wouldn't mention it, especially to Starfire, Beast Boy wasn't entirely sure if this was going to go according to plan… not with Robin in such a fickle state.

The Boy Wonder hated when things went out of order, and in this case, losing one of the closest members on the team was a driving force for him.

"Beast Boy's right," Robin added, his arms folded firmly across his chest. He shook his head, exhaling to control his raging thoughts. "We'll find her, and we'll make sure X gives her back. No matter what the cost."

* * *

**Thanks for the reviews everyone! Please tell me what you thought of this chapter… I think I still need to reply to some of you, and I'm sorry if I haven't already. I'll get right on that!**

**THANKS!**

**- Sulfur Dusk**


	3. III - Coerced

**Title: **_Priceless_

**Genre: **_Drama/Angst/Action/Romance_

**Rating: **_T - M_

**Setting: **_Canon Universe_

**Coupling: **_Red X x Raven_

**Summary: **_Red X is in possession of something valuable, something priceless. Not jewels. Not money. No, he has what the Titans want. He has what the Titans need. He has their greatest weakness. He has... Raven._

* * *

**III**

_Coerced_

* * *

When she woke up, she was in an entirely different place than before. The glass tube was gone, and the scattered boxes locked within tiled walls, floors and ceiling were gone as well. She felt soft material beneath her, and winced once she noticed her left wrist encased in some odd metal shackle, the weight of the item sending strange signals to her brain. Shaking her head, Raven glanced towards her toes to make sure they were moving correctly, and turned her attention to the new location that Red X promised would be apparent when she had least expected it.

It was nothing special. Beige wallpaper stretched around each corner of the different entryways, and the tiny room she was situated in was unbearably claustrophobic. She noticed she was stretched across a surprisingly clean bed, the sheets appearing crisp and white, as if it had been ages since someone touched them, but dust motes collecting on the bottom were enough to let her know that she would need to wash these if she had to. Thinking of doing _laundry _in her captor's whereabouts seemed like an exhausting concept.

Out of the corner of her eye, she glimpsed a stretch of marbled kitchen counter, and an open refrigerator door. Her teeth ground and she struggled to sit up, groaning at the soreness throbbing in her neck, her ankles and her back. She hadn't slept well—maybe that was why she was put in a strange bed in a stranger's room? There was nothing else interesting in this small space than the bed and the dresser beside her.

She steeled her body, relieved to see that she still had her leotard on. She looked towards the corner of the room, where her cap sat folded neatly and propped to the side, as if Red X actually expected her to walk over and retrieve it herself. Part of her expected there to be a rigged trap, but another part told her that there was nothing to fear, and that she was foolish if she thought otherwise.

The faint smell of roasted meat wafted into her nostrils, and against her will she felt her mouth flood with saliva. Why did she have to be hungry at a time like this? The day before—or _days_, she had no idea how long she was out—she refused everything Red X had offered her. Late in the evening he even sat on one of the boxes through the glass tube and taunted her with Chinese take-out food… as if she wanted something so disgusting, but she denied her hunger then.

Now she needed to call upon a tougher willpower to help her muster through this. Red X could be tampering with her food for all she knew.

She wondered if the Titans were eating breakfast right now. What _were _they doing in order to find her? Mapping out trails? Seeking out criminals that could be allies to Red X? Uncovering old databases? Was Starfire still cursing in her Tamaranean tongue, desperately trying to find solutions to this outcome? Were Cyborg and Beast Boy butting heads over whose fault it was that she was captured? Was Robin… being Robin?

_Robin. _She shook her head. Red X had taunted her about him, ranted about their standing together and how the Boy Wonder was apparently an interesting topic to discuss with her.

Why was there still so much venom between Robin and Red X? Robin had never held so much distaste for another villain as he had with… well, Slade was on an entirely different scale, but a casual thief like Red X was barely worth their time. Usually they would scare him off or they would find the jewels in some hidden location, but she knew that he was probably banging his head against his desk, worried terribly for her.

"Hey there sunshine." The smooth, slick voice could have belonged to no one else. Immediately on alert, Raven jerked up from the bed, her eyes glowing white and her fists curled within pulses of dark power. The strange metal shackle on her wrist didn't seem to hold anything back—so what was it for?

Red X stood there, donned in the same damn suit, the cockiness still evident on features that she had still not seen. She had no idea what he looked like behind that mask, but she knew that she shouldn't care. He was her captor, and he had no other motive to kidnap her other than to use her as a hostage, or collateral, or something drastic.

He just wasn't going to tell her anything.

"Relax, Raven," Red X chuckled, and it was then that Raven noticed he was carrying a white plate, topped with seared strips of bacon, scrambled eggs and sliced cubes of fruit. "_Bon appetít, ma cherie_."

Raven blushed in embarrassment. Still, she had a right to be defensive.

"This has to be a bargain for something. You poisoned that, didn't you?"

"Haven't I maid it clear already that I have no intention to harm you? I can't leave my prisoner hungry. From yesterday, I concluded that you simply hate take-out food. So I cooked." He glanced down at the plate, seeming hesitant with his own creation. "Not sure if it'll make you vomit or not… but it's worth a shot."

Her eyebrow twitched. "No thanks."

However, she realized after several minutes that she really didn't have a choice. She waited for the thief to allow her privacy, and she sat on the bed with the food, staring at the contents with narrowed eyes. Seconds later, Red X returned with his own plate, closing the door behind him and sitting on the floor with his legs crossed.

Raven blinked. "You _really _don't have to do that—"

"Actually, I do. You see, kidnappers have a priority of keeping their guests alive. Since I find you quite entertaining with our little discussions, I wanted to abide by that rule and feed you. Seemed reasonable enough to me. And a challenge, since I normally don't cook." He shook his head in feigned disappointment. "If only you enjoyed take-out food."

The empathy felt her fingers twitch in irritation. Just what was he trying to pull? "I'm not your guest. You kidnapped me."

"As you've mentioned before, to which I reply: I know." He shrugged, and glanced down at his food.

"Why do you even bother wearing your mask still?" She rolled her eyes. "You look ridiculous, talking to me with your food sitting there."

"So you admit it. You're curious on what lies behind my mask." He seemed to smile, but as before, Raven could not tell. She glared at him in response, but he chuckled coyly. "Oh, believe me I would show you. But I have to leave soon for a little gander around the city. Can't leave you to tell your Titan buddies what I look like. Not yet, anyway."

"Explain yourself," Raven muttered.

"Oh, touchy," the thief replied, shaking his head. "I would tell you if you trusted me, Raven, but alas, you do not. So my lips are sealed."

"If only they were," Raven growled out. She only gritted her teeth once Red X dipped his head in amusement, but he stood up and took his plate with him. He shut the door behind him, and Raven heard the distinct sound of it locking. She rubbed her temples in annoyance, knowing that her powers would only get her so far—she needed to find the Blood Diamond, and to unmask Red X in order to turn the bastard in to the police.

He wasn't giving her any necessary clues. Not even this location—this strange, hollow room with eye-soring _beige wallpaper_, a single light bulb dangling from the ceiling, an unused bed, a dresser and a cracked nightstand. Did Red X actually live here? If she could scope out the rest of the building, she would…

She blinked. If she could pick the lock on the door—maybe even without meditation she could accomplish such a small feat. It would be easy for her to do it, to find an easy way to sneak around and try to find clues.

"Azarath," she turned to the door, slowly motioning over towards it with her eyes glowing and strands of her hair floating above her shoulders. "Metrion…" She breathed gently, focusing her energy on the doorknob, hoping that her weakened powers could slip through and find her target. "Zinthos."

She heard the lock snap, and the door crack open.

Raven stepped outside of the room, cautious with her powers. She needed to be careful—Red X could still be in this strange place for all she knew. Composing herself, she started walking around the main floor, trying to ignore the constant creak in the wooden floor boards beneath her.

The beige wallpaper in that small room had expanded into a much more different coloring choice. Periwinkle wallpaper bathed the walls, and the kitchen was smooth and surprisingly polished, with several pots and pans stored to one corner, with one of the supplies suspiciously smelling like bacon. She glanced into the sink, where soap bubbles frothed over the pan he used to make scrambled eggs; the scents were still heavily wafting through the kitchen.

She tried to stare out the window, but blinked at the black tapestries that hung over each and every window she came across. They were all barring her from the outside world, keeping her shrouded in mystery, and she knew she should not be using her powers until the time was right, until she knew for _sure _that she was alone.

She wandered into the living room, where she noticed that everything seemed more cluttered than the kitchen area. A cheap television sat on one side of the room, opposite a scratched-up leather couch, a nightstand, a lava lamp and… a game controller?

Red X played video games?

She blinked slowly, shaking her head in surprise and bafflement. She wondered how Cyborg or Beast Boy, or even Robin would react to finding all of these things. Even the half-devoured bag of potato chips on one side of the couch reminded her of the boys back in the Tower… and that caused a strange pull to her stomach.

Raven wondered if they were still looking for her, still searching for her. Granted, she was patient as it had only been two days since she was captured (most likely) and didn't want to make unruly assumptions that they had just given up in that small span of time.

"Giving yourself a tour?"

Raven bristled, and whipped around to face… a man, free of the Red X suit, but still wearing a black sash over his eyes. It concealed significant parts of his features, but Raven was surprised to see this side to the thief at all.

He held a similar stature to Robin; slender, with toned, ropy muscles that belonged to a trained swimmer. He was dressed in casual jeans, sneakers and a loose white T-shirt that hugged in enough places to let Raven know that she wasn't wrong about him being slender but strong. From what she could tell of his face, he had an interestingly crooked smile, with crisp white teeth, and two, wide-open and glaring eyes that were tantalizing sea foam green.

Raven narrowed her eyes; she didn't want to be caught off-guard, despite how… strangely attractive Red X apparently was without his suit, but his more prominent features were still hidden from her. The wisps of black hair reminded her of someone, and she immediately knocked that thought out of her mind, to abandon that image before she came to a conclusion.

He looked… so much like _Robin_.

"I knew you were going to escape that room. A measly lock wouldn't keep you in." He shrugged, leaning against the doorframe and inspecting his knuckles, disinterested. "A quick change was in order. Oh, yeah, if you want to watch TV, go ahead. Snacks are in the kitchen… granted, I don't have much, but what do you expect from an on-the-run thief?"

"Cut the bullshit," Raven growled out icily. She was tired of this charade—whatever he wanted from her, she wanted to know _now_. "Stop playing games with me. What do you want from me? I already know my destiny, and if you have some sort of knowledge of my home and what happened there, then I understand why you captured me." She shook her head. "But other than that you have no reason."

"And that's just it," the villain replied nonchalantly. "I have no reason. No motive. Nothing. I have no real _reason _to have kidnapped you, Raven." The fact he said her name made her skin crawl, and yet her cheeks colored in slight embarrassment… was that the emotion she felt flip-flopping her stomach? "You could say I was just bored."

The dark sorceress felt her fists clench at something so careless. "I have a hard time believing you, _X_," he smirked at the nickname, "but I guess I don't have a choice." She would let him believe that he had won, for now.

She tried to ignore him, but the way he looked at her… it was a foreign emotion that she wasn't used to sensing, but he certainly felt something different towards her than what she had felt before. At times, she detected strange emotions from her friends that made her suspicious. Sometimes, she would catch a wave of a more negative emotion from Robin, or even Starfire in the rarest of times, but even then, she was more confused when she felt an odd break in connection between her and Robin.

She recalled how distant he had been from her prior to the mission where she was kidnapped. She caught sight of him in the Tower, her tea still hot in her hands, as he spoke—no, _poured _his heart out to Starfire. The alien looked like she was crying, but Raven suspected they became a couple that very night.

But then, Robin distanced himself from her, and he and Starfire were only seen casually together. Perhaps they were dating and trying to keep everything a secret from the others, but Raven knew better than that. She could always sense the intense emotion of love radiating from Starfire towards the Boy Wonder, and even then…

"Lost in your thoughts, little bird?" Red X motioned over towards the couch, plopping onto it. He snatched a remote and turned on the television, fishing chips out of the bag like a true couch potato.

The sight surprised and slightly confused Raven, but for once she was glad that he diverted her attention from reminiscing. Thinking of Starfire in a negative light made her feel shameful, and in truth, she missed the alien and her constant attempts at trying to make her smile.

Well, not the actual _attempts_. Just the thought was refreshing.

"I'm kinda lonely over here. I'm sure you're a cuddly person at heart, am I right, Raven?" Red X winked at her, and she instantly felt her blood boil.

She caused his potato chip bag to dunk onto his head, silencing him for a solid fifteen seconds. She suppressed a small smirk, and turned around and stalked toward the kitchen.

He pulled the bag from over his head and swiped several chips out of his hair. "Eh, nice trick." He sounded amused, but annoyed. "Why do I always forget that she can do that?" he grumbled to himself, but it was not out of her hearing.

She bit her lip and studied the kitchen counters, where a blender sat untouched and gathering dust, but nothing available for her to make tea.

_What am I thinking? _She sighed, disappointed with herself. She was in captivity, and she had the audacity to think that she could actually help herself to _tea _while her friends broke their necks searching for her? She knew that they were struggling with the concept of her kidnapping, but she hoped that they knew how to find her without her empathic abilities to help them.

If she tried to call into her connection with Robin, she needed to be alone. If Red X knew about that, he would find some means to keep her quiet and to keep his location a secret. He still hadn't shown her his whole face, but she could describe most of what he looked like to the rest of the team if she had to.

Strangely enough, she felt the same hesitance she would with any of her teammates. He meant nothing to her, but it was odd to her that he actually kept her safe, and fed her, and even shed his suit in front of her. It was as if… as if he actually trusted her.

Either he was blatantly stupid or extremely cocky.

_Mixture of both_, Raven concluded.

* * *

"Friend Robin, you have been staring at the scanners for hours now. May you please come and rest? The rest of us are trying to find ways to help you think better… um, in a more _straight _way, as Beast Boy says." Starfire glanced towards her leader with slumped shoulders, standing in the middle of the Boy Wonder's room with strands of her hair rubbing between her fingertips. The concern was evident on her fairy tale face, large green eyes observant and concerned.

Robin rubbed his temples, hunched over the controls displayed before him that mapped out possible locations that could be holding Raven. He suspected that Red X had already changed course, but Robin wasn't entirely sure. He just knew that one of his closest friends was still in danger, and it was partially his fault.

"Sorry Star," he murmured, "I just need to find a possible location for Raven before we make our next move. And the best time to do that is now."

"I understand that," Starfire whispered, her eyes downcast. "But we have helped you all day. Surely you can rest; I will take over, or Cyborg, or even Beast Boy. All of us are in this together with you, Robin, and we are all worried for Raven as you are. Including me."

She was desperately concerned for Raven's safety, and the more she felt like they were growing apart, the more worried she was. She had no idea what the thief was doing to her right now, but with her past experiences with crime fighting, she thought of the worst fates possible and that only made her nightmares grow worse and worse.

The main problem to her was that Robin was focusing on the wrong thing. Finding Red X's location was a reasonable start, but trying to connect with Raven was the main priority. Starfire and Cyborg had tried several methods, and the other male member of the team had tried to pinpoint her communicator signal, but none of the results came back.

"We should go patrolling soon," Robin muttered. Even now Starfire could see the lines of weariness and exhaustion crippling his posture. "Maybe that can open some new doors for us."

"Robin, please," the alien begged. "Cyborg suggests that we are focusing on the wrong thing. Maybe we need to try to contact friend Raven first, before we do anything else." She shook her head, frustrated that she sounded like a weakling. She needed to remind herself that she wasn't here to pick on Robin and tell him that what he was doing was wrong—no, she was here to support him and help him out of his stupor.

"I know." He sounded sullen, defeated, but Starfire knew that he wasn't.

"Rest, then. You cannot patrol with the rest of us if you are tripping everywhere you walk. It is not healthy." She walked over to him, closing the distance that seemed to span for several weeks, starting on that awkward evening, between just the two of them…

She shoved the thought out of her mind and reached a hand out to comfort him. It landed on his shoulder, but he hadn't reacted like she'd hoped. Instead of flinching, or snapping at her, which was what she expected, he just… stilled. He hadn't said a word for several minutes, focused on something else, and for the first time in a long while she could not read what lied behind his mask.

"I know that what I'm doing is a slower process, but it works. I know Raven is counting on us, and that she's counting on you as well, Star. You're worried for her as much as I am, but the plans and routes you're taking are safer and more predictable." He slammed his head onto his desk, grinding his teeth. "Nothing will work unless we focus!"

Starfire jumped back, frowning deeply. "Robin, listen to yourself—"

"The last time I waited, Starfire, I nearly destroyed myself." The Tamaranean knew what he was talking about—Slade's illusion had haunted Robin for a good period of time, and had turned him against them. He nearly killed himself, by believing that he was fighting Slade, and reality would not come to him until he discovered it himself.

"You didn't wait," she said calmly. "You were throttled against your will. There was nothing you could do until you found the truth."

"That's no excuse, Starfire!" Robin felt his patience ebbing away, and that was rare in the presence of the beautiful alien. "Please, just hear me out. What I did… how I prepared, it was all my fault. Raven is gone because of my planning. Red X captured her for a reason that we still haven't figured out, but until then, we can't do anything until we find his location."

Starfire nibbled on her bottom lip, sadness dwelling in her bright eyes. Even when solemn, she looked like an angel, and when she was in front of the person she cared so deeply for, she wished that he would listen to her. But now, more than ever she knew it would be impossible.

"I know that you're in a dark place, Robin. And you feel guilty." She dipped her head. "That is why you have friends who support you. So please, let us. You know where to find me."

And with that, she gracefully drifted through the doorway. Once outside, she waited for a reaction, a plea, anything to let her know that he had listened to her. But to her dismay there was only silence, and she willed whatever she could within her body to keep her from sobbing.

* * *

Red X found her fascinating.

The entire day, she lingered around his home grounds, observing him from afar, casually searching for clues that would lead her to his identity. She would never find it—he never left any clues, and he was just glad that she happened to be so entertaining. As a masked thief it was difficult to impress him with the more trivial characters. He happened to bag the most mysterious of the Titans, and now she was on house arrest in his complex.

He glanced over her, curious as to what she was hiding. She constantly wore her hood up around him, her cape closed around her slender, curvy figure that he glimpsed under the moonlight on the night he took her away. He was still caught off-guard by those striking violet eyes, but he would never admit that to her. When he shimmied out of his suit and changed into casual clothes, he noticed her curious stare, her observing of his form. He expected her to; he was an attractive guy and he liked to let people know that.

She would be even more interesting yet. He just needed to squeeze some questions out of her. Where had she come from? How could he learn more about the shrouded woman?

He watched her sample around his kitchen, staring in dismay at the mug of cheap coffee that she made herself. He heard her muttering that she was angry without her tea, but he would have to keep that in mind. After all, he wanted her approval.

Purchasing tea would be the first step to uncloaking Raven.

He grinned at the mental image flashing through his mind. He knew she was beautiful, and it always surprised him when he truly noticed her. He couldn't believe he had wasted his time on the pretty alien in those past missions—the admittedly cute Tamaranean had nothing in comparison to this girl, from personality alone. Raven held an air of mystery to her, and she refused to tell him anything outright.

It was also amusing that she thought she was going to escape anytime soon. He didn't want to let her go, not yet. And if the Titans came for her…

A smirk played on his lips as he slipped on his mask.

He would have to _fight _to keep her.

* * *

**Thanks for the reviews guys! :D It means a lot to me and motivates me to update sooner than usual. Plus I love writing about Raven and Red X… I just feel like there's not enough stories about them.**

**Also I'm sorry if Starfire seemed kinda wimpy in this chapter. I was hoping to keep everyone in character and I am, by no means, a Starfire-basher. I'm trying my best to give her a realistic approach, and for reasons not mentioned yet she's going to be gentle yet slightly fragile towards Robin for a while. **

**Thanks again guys for reading and please drop a review and let me know what you thought of the chapter!**

**- Sulfur Dusk**


	4. IV - Chased

**Title: **_Priceless_

**Genre: **_Drama/Angst/Action/Romance_

**Rating: **_T - M_

**Setting: **_Canon Universe_

**Coupling: **_Red X x Raven_

**Summary: **_Red X is in possession of something valuable, something priceless. Not jewels. Not money. No, he has what the Titans want. He has what the Titans need. He has their greatest weakness. He has... Raven._

* * *

**IV**

_Chased_

* * *

"I'm not playing this game with you."

"What else are you going to do to pass the time? Watch wallpaper peel? Come on, little bird, we can have some fun with this."

Raven refused to participate in _anything _with her kidnapper on the opposite end of the spectrum, but this game he was proposing… it was so laughable that she had a hard time believing that he wasn't jesting her. Slapped onto the coffee table in front of her was a familiar, colorfully painted game with numerous character-designed pieces that resembled her friends.

It was _Clue: Teen Titans Edition_.

She wanted to shake her head and bang it against the wall at the irony. Just why the _hell _did Red X keep a game like this submerged in his closet? It made absolutely no sense.

"I find it strange that you even own this game."

Even the format didn't make any sense. Popular demand from fans in Jump City demanded that the Titans were included in an upcoming game. Of course, the franchise they happened to pick was _Clue_, which made absolutely _no sense _and the idea drove Robin up the wall for weeks.

"I love it," Red X replied, smirking. "I especially love playing as Robin."

She glared. "Oh, I wonder why."

"Come now, I'm not that obvious." He shrugged, the T-shirt clinging to his body suddenly seeming to be a nuisance to Raven. She had no idea why; the shirt just bothered her. "Pick a character and play."

"I'm not playing board games. Especially with my kidnapper."

Red X held his hands up. "Alright, fine. Apparently you have no sense of entertainment inside of you whatsoever." He laced his fingers together, a crooked, interested smile gracing his lips. "So what do you do in your free time?"

Raven's eyes narrowed. "I'm not having this conversation with you." She glanced at the strange metallic bracelet still attached to her wrist, and examined the thing in further interest and confusion. "… And what's this for?" She held her wrist up in front of her captor, her tone demanding.

Red X blinked. "Ah, well… apparently that device isn't working because it's supposed to prevent you from using your powers." He chuckled. "I just didn't say anything for the first couple of days. I just assumed that you would just accept it and not ask any questions, like a good captive." He stood up and gathered the pieces of the board game together. "You'll find that, if you try to escape, it's going to be a lot harder than you'd think."

"I haven't even tried yet!" Raven snapped, bristling.

Red X tilted his head to the side at this. "You don't need to be embarrassed. I find it quite flattering that you want to stay here longer. It gets rather _lonely _here at times." He emphasized the word 'lonely' and only broke into laughter once Raven's hair lifted in frustration. "Alright, alright. I'll leave you to your thoughts, little darkling."

She glared sharply at him. "Hmph."

* * *

"He still won't come out of his room?" Cyborg asked, puzzled. He was lying on the floor in his working facility and adding upgrades to the T-car. The squeaky, rubbery sound of the wrench doing its work made the Tamaranean beside him tilt her head in bewilderment.

"No, I have tried everything." She sighed and folded her hands in her lap. She knew that Raven would often visit Cyborg here to help him fix or upgrade whatever he needed to… well, fix or upgrade. It wasn't a secret that Raven found great comfort in Cyborg's company, though she would never admit it, and the half-human individual was very protective of her in return.

Losing Raven dealt a lot of discomfort to Cyborg as well. He was more cautious than usual, and definitely wasn't as talkative, but there was something about the way he carried himself that assured Starfire that he wasn't crumbling and turning into a different person like Robin was.

She tried to shake the image of the worried Boy Wonder out of her mind. If he fell, both mentally and physically, then she would as well. Each of the Titans had their own breaking point.

It was just a mystery to her as to how some of them could deal with Raven's absence for a certain amount of time. She was just as worried as Robin and Cyborg, but she did her best to conceal her own thoughts and needs at the moment in order to make sure that the Titans were not being torn apart from the inside out.

"Maybe just needs a little encouragement," Cyborg offered, sliding from underneath his babied vehicle and heaving himself up. He placed the tools to the side and rubbed his human temple in annoyance. "Robin can't stay holed up forever. Is he still trying to track down Red X first?"

Starfire nodded. "I am knowledgeable of that. Robin… Robin seems very distrusting of me now, like he really does not want to speak with me anymore." She tried to shake the thought out of her mind, but no matter what she did, she knew those words would remain there, biting at her conscience and telling her that she did not mean anything to her leader. He thought of her as merely a roadblock; a device to play with until he was bored and then he would toss to the side.

She blinked at her own malicious train of thought and berated herself for it.

"You know how Robin is, Star. It's probably just him trying to get his thoughts together. No biggie." He gave her a reassuring grin, and she returned it, but not to the extent that she wanted.

"I am still worried for him. He is trying so hard to find Raven, but I feel as if he is not doing it correctly."

Cyborg considered this. "You know, Star…" He sighed; how was he going to put this into words? What he suspected from Robin—one of his closest friends—was probably not what Starfire would want to hear. "Robin's a difficult person. You know that. You're the closest one to him on this team, and I think he's just having a hard time figuring out why Red X would want Raven in the first place. Plus, he still has the Blood Diamond."

Starfire's brow furrowed. The Blood Diamond was a priceless jewel, worth millions of dollars, stolen by none-other than Red X. Who else could the culprit have been? The thief practically admitted that he had the sacred gem during their first fight in the broken-in store. Perhaps Robin was having a difficult time adjusting to that as well… maybe it really wasn't just all about Raven.

She cursed herself for her wishful thinking. What kind of a friend was she? She treasured Raven as a sister, for Tamaran's sake! She should never have these thoughts, have these hopes and wishes and futile dreams that would only end up being crushed by her own hand. She shook her hand and thanked Cyborg for his time before walking out of the garage, her fists beginning to clench.

Raven meditated with her at times, and even though Starfire knew she needed to in order to boost the stability of her powers, she just did not see the point with the half-demoness gone. It just felt… wrong, to even think it.

Lost in her thoughts, she chanced upon the living room, where she noticed Beast Boy lounging across the couch. He seemed lost in some sort of trance; the gaming system was tossed to the side, and the expression on his face did not hold a single ounce of satisfaction. There was something very wrong with the green changeling, and Starfire wanted to find out what it was.

"Beast Boy?" the alien whispered, approaching the couch with her lips pursed. "Is everything… alright?"

Beast Boy snapped up, ruffling his hair and shaking his head. He turned to Starfire with surprisingly blank, yet falsely cheerful eyes. Starfire knew he was trying to hide it; just like her, and their denial would only make things worse. For both Robin and the search for Raven.

"Yeah."

The Tamaranean hesitated. "Perhaps, you would like to discuss something on your mind?"

Beast Boy pondered this, but he shook his head. "No."

She struggled to maintain a smile, but the charade would not be held for long. Usually Beast Boy was the very person that would lift her spirits, either with a terrible, lackadaisical joke or a genuine smile tossed her way. But he seemed so confused, so distracted, and that on its own was a mystery to her.

"We are all worried about Raven, Beast Boy," she continued, even though he flinched at the mentioning of the empath's name. "Robin is trying his best to find her, and all that we can do now, as his friends, is trust and support him."

Beast Boy grumbled something inaudible. "Yeah, well…" he shrugged. "I'm tired of waiting."

She blinked. "Beast Boy—"

"I didn't think about it much at first, Star. But I am now, and I don't know what we're going to do. Raven's… she's never been kidnapped before. When we find Red X, what are we supposed to do? If we throw him in jail he'll just escape again and he might even come after her again."

The alien was actually quite surprised that he was thinking about the consequences with so much depth. Usually Beast Boy was left in the dark, but the intense care he held for Raven as a friend was so adamant, so hidden, and yet, so undeniably powerful that Starfire knew he could not deny those worries. He was concerned for her to an even greater degree than the alien originally expected.

"We cannot think of those possibilities right now." She really didn't know what to say. "Robin is trying his best—"

"He's _always _trying his best." The changeling frowned, grabbing the remote control and pressing several buttons. His concerned look faded away, replaced by the same, happy-go-lucky feature that she was used to seeing. "You can stay here, and watch TV, if you want."

Starfire frowned. What an odd mood-swing. "I… I appreciate the offer, but I am going to go and check on Robin again, to see if he's okay."

"'Kay." He seemed lost in his own thoughts again, eyes glued to the screen. Starfire shook her head and turned to leave, drifting through the hallways like a lost child.

She walked in front of Robin's door and hesitated to knock. What if he was still in a sour mood? Would he be angry at her if she tried to intervene with his hard work? Would he snap? She tried to ignore the many possibilities of opening this door, but the more and more she thought about it, the more and more she realized that she could very well be signing her own leaf-of-absence warrant.

She exhaled shakily, and cautiously opened the doors.

Her eyes bulged, and her words escaped her. "Robin?"

Realization hit her, and she screamed. "_Robin_!"

* * *

Jump City was most vulnerable at night.

Red X always thought that this was a terribly ironic fact, since the most prominent and frequently visited buildings in this huge city had tough security. With his skills and finesse, he managed to breach nearly every one and take at least one souvenir or two. There were, of course, the more difficult systems that he could never break into. Hell, it was total bullshit when the pacifist community claimed that money was not the source of power.

Money equaled power, which equaled incredibly strong security forces and soldiers, which only equaled to the best loot imaginable. Donned in his trademark suit, Red X blended into the shadows, the ripped edges of his cape billowing in the winds behind him. Others that would have spotted him would have probably mistaken him for someone else, since he, ironically enough, was not that well known of a villain.

Publicly, anyway. The people of Jump were not particularly bright, from his standpoint.

He had no particular target tonight. He just wondered if there was going to be a distraction set in his path, or perhaps, even an encounter with a high-end group of police force. Oh, now that would be interesting. He would actually be able to test his skills if he wanted to. Now, he wasn't that violent, but he was quick, sly, and dealt a huge amount of damage to whoever crossed his path.

He was intelligent, and he loved to use his brain to his advantage. It was even more amusing to him, since his new captive always tried to challenge him with difficult questions concerning geography, her history with the Titans, and even some villain trivia to pass her bored time in his house.

Gazing up toward the starless black sky, he had to wonder: just how could this Titan be so damn seductive and entertaining at the same time? It had been four days since he captured her, and she still hadn't tried once to escape. If he had that damn bracelet working she probably would have tried harder. Honestly, he wasn't sure of her motives; his highest suspicion was that she was trying to scoop some dirt on him. That would be his most likely conclusion.

"Hold it!"

Red X stopped, his heels scraping against the rooftop with a sound that resembled nails on chalkboard. He refused to roll his eyes, even now—the gesture was just too tired when regarding this particular wannabe.

"You've got to be kidding me," the thief began, chuckling as he turned around to see exactly who he expected. Standing there, across from him on this very rooftop and completely dressed in a black version of his normal suit, was Robin.

But he was alone.

Red X shrugged. "Is there something you want from me, Wonder Boy?"

Robin growled. "Raven. Where is she?"

"You really think I'm going to tell you? That's rich." The thief smirked, and he wished that Robin would be able to detect the huge amount of ego behind his suit. "She's safe and sound, in a place that you will definitely not find."

The Titan leader's teeth ground at this statement. "She better not be harmed."

"Really, you have such little faith in me. I haven't harmed her. She's safe, like I said." He mock-saluted Robin and chuckled lowly to himself. "I very much enjoy her company. Quite beautiful, isn't she?"

Robin stepped forward, drawing out those strange boomerangs that Red X really didn't understand the appeal of. "Stop talking."

"You're the one asking questions here." Red X crossed his arms. "Any other reason you stalked me out here tonight, Wonder Boy? I have business to attend to."

"Tell me where Raven is."

Red X glowered. "No." It bothered him that this Titan leader was trying so desperately to retrieve the dark bird. He liked having the supernatural woman around, and he wasn't going to give her up, especially to this pompous boy scout that considered himself a _hero_. "She's mine."

Robin's blood ran cold, and his voice dripped with venom. "She belongs with the Titans, with _us_—"

"With you, you mean." Red X was just about to lose his composure, and that rarely happened. It pissed him off that this _boy _happened to be so greedy that he wanted far too much. He already had the pretty alien princess wrapped around his finger… why should he have the gorgeous half-demoness as well? "You already have quite a lot under your belt, Bird Boy. That alien of yours should be filling your quota quite nicely."

Pure unadulterated rage seeped behind the other's mask. "Don't bring Starfire into this—"

"If you think I still have an interest in the alien, you're wrong." Red X shook his head in feigned amusement. "Seriously. Think out of the box. I take the better woman off your hands, and you can have the redhead all to yourself. Shouldn't this be working on your behalf?" Robin stiffened, severely insulted. "Believe, I will take good care of her."

"Like Hell you will," Robin seethed. "Stand up and fight!"

"I am standing, you blubbering fool," Red X acknowledged. "But I don't have time to deal with you. You're really not as threatening as everyone points you out to be. Especially to Raven."

The fact that the criminal addressed her by her full name made Robin blink in surprise.

But before he could make another move, a flying red X slapped him over the eyes, slamming him into the pipe behind him. Red X quickly jumped across the rooftops, slinking out of sight once more.

Really, just what was that irritating idiot thinking?

_He has that alien to worry about_, Red X pondered, _he should be overjoyed that I've rid him of a distraction. _Just the very notion of teamwork confused him. With two women like that on someone's team, wasn't sex just a primary objective? Of course, he suspected that before he actually met the Titans. He had seen pictures slathered across newspapers in Jump, when he thought that Starfire was quite the looker and he paid no attention to the mysterious hooded figure in the background.

Oh, how wrong he was.

He stopped, braking his heels against the pavement of another building, turning to the wall. He removed one of his gloves and inspected the electronic watch that he happened to carry with him on the longer heists or nightly runarounds.

Dammit. He was late.

And he forgot the goddamn tea.

* * *

"Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos…"

The chant was nothing but an echo through her mind, and she stared frustratingly at the bag of chips that Red X left unkempt on the couch. With the bracelet around her wrist glowing to an insufferable extent, she knew that this would be a futile attempt.

She groaned, sighing as she rubbed her temples. She needed to remain calm, collected, and even. She was not going to succeed with her powers if she couldn't even focus in meditation. It was finally quiet in Red X's household, but that alone was making her cringe in annoyance. How could she possibly be comfortable here? In the home of her kidnapper?

It was almost degrading. Here she was, a powerful Titan, reduced to a captured individual who was torn between the feelings of her team and just how much time she needed to find the truth behind Red X. There was more to him, she knew it, and he was hiding something interesting. She could detect the waves of emotions radiating from him like a steady ocean.

She didn't like him. He was not growing on her.

No. He wasn't.

_He's not_. She sighed at her own attempts of denial. Just why did this criminal happen to be so suave and intellectual? She threw many questions at him and he happened to counter with an even cleverer question or an answer that made her think afterwards for several minutes. She underestimated him, and that was a challenge on its own.

And she hated admitting it.


End file.
